The games are still incredibly linear though. Just because routes
might be gone, doesn't mean story progression suddenly becomes non-linear. Even Isle of Armor is linear, despite lack of routes. The game doesn't give you a choice how to tackle the story, it's very much "go there, do that, now go there", with no alternatives. The game even marks your map.
But if routes are that big of a deal, I'd recommend the DS games. Gen 5 is considered to be among the best games, with a much bigger focus on story and HGSS are really well done remakes. Also a lot of people like Platinum, though I can't give an opinion on that. Being older games, they do naturally lack some of the modern Pokemon and QoL changes.
Well, I did say Cinderace isn't the only one I have an issue with, but to go into your examples:
- I'll give you Garbodor, though at least it's more of a monster than humanoid
- I mean, animals based on things do exist in real life, so it's not too farfetched that an Ice Pokemon based on ice cream is a thing
- The 'saurs are frogs, also it's explained via Bulbasaur's dex that the seed is planted there.
- Blastoise is also weird, yes, maybe its original pre-evo would've shed light into it, but that's lost to time.
- Psychic humans do exist in Pokemon, so why not monsters, too? Also Mew is meant to be special, while Mewtwo is an artficial clone.
- Lol Gen 8. Also apparently dog with sword is more or less a thing in media, see Dark Souls, Tales of and now Pokemon.
At this point they're just beating up the corpse of the Wii U.
